Alarm-clock.



P. LUX.

ALARM CLOCK? APPLIOATIOR FILED 00w. 10, 1910.

Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL LUX, 0F WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WATER/BURY CLOCK00., OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

ALARM-CLOCK.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL LUX, a citizen of the United States, residingat Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Alarm-Clocks; and I do herebydeclare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full,clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawingsconstitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1 a view in front elevation of a clock constructed in accordancewith my invention with the upper portion of the dial broken away to showthe clock-movement with particular reference to the switch forconverting the clock from a long alarm to an intermittent alarm and viceversa, and to the switch for cutting out the alarm altogether. Fig. 2 abroken view of the clock in vertical central section, showing the clockadjusted for sounding a long alarm, and also showing the alarm as shutofl. Fig. 3 a view of the clock partly in plan, and partly in horizontalsection. Fig. 4: a detached View in side elevation of the case-body.Fig. 5 a View of the clock in side elevation with its ring-head and ringbroken away. Fig. 6 a detached broken view in vertical central sectionthrough the case back and bell, with particular reference to showing theposts mounted in the rear plate of the clock-movement and extendingthrough the case-back for the support of the bell and the brace or propby means of which the completed clock is supported in an uprightposition.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of alarm-clocksfurnished with circular sheet-metal cases and concentric bells, theobject being to produce a compact, convenient and reliable clockconstructed with particular reference to the employment of large heavybells without unduly thickening the clocks from front to rear, and toproviding a sightly and convenient position and arrangement for the twoswitches by means of which the alarm is changed from a long to anintermittent alarm and vice versa, and by which the alarm is entirelyout off.

With these ends in View my invention consists in a clock having certaindetails of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 10, 1910.

Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

Serial No. 586,264.

construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter describedand pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention as herein shown, I produce from a singlepiece of sheet-metal a circular case-body characterized by a convexclosed, crowning circumferential hollow enlargement or band 2 merging atits rear edge into a rearwardly projecting closed case-back 3 and at itsforward edge into a concentric bezel-ring flange 1 which is narrowerthan the back 8 which, so to speak, is shallower than the crowning band2 forming the main or characteristic feature of the case, and, as shown,twice as wide as the said back 3 is deep. The band 2 aforesaid isbead-like or crowning in form and larger in diameter than the case-back3 or the flange 4 and receive the ring-head 5 and ring 6, as well as thelegs 7. The said band 2 also receives the alarm-switch 8 and the cut-offswitch 9 which, as shown, are symmetrically arranged on either side ofthe ring-head 5 and slide circumferentially in the plane of the case.

The closed rearwardly projecting caseback 3 is formed in its side wallwith a lateral bell hammer opening 10 through which the hammer-head 11on the hammer-wire 12 strikes the inner face of the forward edge of thedeep flange 13 of a large heavy concen trio bell 14: which, as shown, isattached by screws 15 on the opposite sides of but close to its center,to short posts 16 riveted in and close to the center of the rearmovementplate 17 of the clock. The bell 14 is made enough larger indiameter than the said case-back 3 to form an annular clearance space 18as seen in Fig. 8. In this space 18 the hammer-head 11 vibrates instriking the edge of the bell. Under this construction I avoid passingthe hammer-wire 12 rearward through an opening in the back of the caseas is usually done, and therefore secure a more direct action of thehammer upon the bell and save space from front to rear. The forward edgeof the flange 18 of the bell 14; just clears the rounded rear face ofthe crowning band 2.

The clock-movement itself may be of any approved construction and willnot therefore be illustrated or described further than called for by theimmediate purposes of this present description. Its pillars 19 arepassed through the edges of the case-back 3 to which the movementsecured by nuts 20. Nuts 21 also screwed upon the rear ends of thepillars 19 secure the rear IHOVGIIIEHt-Pltll'O 17 to the said pillarsand form a space 22 between the rear movement-plate 17 and the back 3.

A bezelring 23 sleeved over the bezel-ring flange at and secured theretoby screws 2i, holds the glass against the outer edge of the dial-mat 26which rests upon the dial 27 which in turn is secured to the dial-back28 which is formed with rearwardly extending fingers 29 resting upon thefront-plate 20 in the usual manner.

The switch-hobs S and 9 are formed with inwardly extending stems 30 and31 passing through slightly bowed switch-plates 32, and also throughfriction springs 33, the said plates and springs respectively bearingupon the outer and inner faces of the crowningband 2 of the case-body,the said band being formed with slots 34 to permit the sliding movementof the knobs. The said plates 32 are provided with the wording (notshown) necessary to indicate the functions of the re spective knobs 8and S). The inner end of the stem 30 of the switch knob 8 engages withthe upper end of an intermittent alarmlever hung upon an arbor 3G andprovided with a coiled-spring 37 which exerts a eonstant effort to holdthe finger 38 formed upon the lower or inner end of the lever inoperative relation to the intermittent alarmcam 39 which is driven bythe time-movement of the clock in the ordinary manner, and which, atregular intervals, lifts the lever 35 for the intermittent sounding ofthe alarm when the switch 8 is moved upward to the limit of its slidingmovement so that its stem 30 clears the upper end of the lever as shownin Fig. 1. The alarm-train having been released by the lifting of thelever 35 by the wheel 39, is intermittently stopped by the engagement ofa tooth 4:0 on the lever 35, by a pin .41 carried by the alarm-escapewheel 12 which is engaged in the usual manner by a verge 43 mounted upona verge arbor 44 carrying the hammer-wire 12 afore said. The said arbor4% also carries a bent wire 15 commonly known as the hammer tail. Thiswire 45 co-acts, in the usual manner, with a flat sheet metalalarm-camspring 46 which, when it is allowed to spring forward, releasesthe hammer-tail 45, and thus permits the vibration of the hammer. Theextreme end of the wire 15 engages with the bent inner end of astop-lever 17 hung upon an arbor 4:8 and having its upper end bentforengagement by the stem 31 of the switch-knob 9. When the said knob 9 isat the limit of its upward sliding movement, as shown in Fig. 1, it hasno effect upon the stop-lever 47. hen, however, the knob 9 shown in Fig.2, its stem 31 engages with the stop-lever 17 and throws the sameagainst the hammer-tail the vibration of which is thus prevented so thatneither a long nor a short alarm may be sounded. By moving theswitch-knob S from right to left, and therefore down ard, its stem 30engages with the upper end of the lever 35 and throws the same into itsretired position in which it is not operated upon by the camwheel 39 sothat a long alarm will be sounded rather than an intermittent alarm.Other means than those shown might be employed for causing theswitch-knobs S and 9 to act upon the movement so as to cut off the alarmaltogether, or to convert it from an intermittent to a long alarm, andvice vcrsa, my invention consisting in particular, in this respect, inmounting the switch-knobs in the central band or crowning enlargement ofthe case-body and arranging them so as to he moved circumferentiallyover the same in one direction or the other in the plane of the case.

As shown, the clock is supported by the legs 7 aforesaid, and by meansof a rearwardly extending sheet-metal prop or brace a9 held in place bythe screws 15 employed to secure the bell 1a. to the posts 16, as shownin Figs. 3 and 5. The bell. 14f and the prop 49 are thus secured throughthe medium of the short posts 16 to the rear movementplate 17, ratherthan to the central portion of the relatively light sheet-metal casebackFig. also shows the knurled button 50 by means of which the alarm isset, and the knurled button 51 by means of which the hour and minutehands are set.

I claim 1. In an alarm clock, the combination with a one-piecesheet-metal case-body comprising a crowning circumferential hollow band,a concentric rearwardly projecting closed case-back smaller in diameterand shallower than the said band and formed with a lateral bell-hannneropening, and a bezel-ring flange projecting forwardly from the forwardedge of the said band and smaller in diameter than the same; of aclock-movement located within the said casebody, secured to thecase-back thereof and provided with a hammer located adjacent to thesaid bell-hammer opening, a bell encircling the said case-back andextending forwardly over the same, its forward edge clearing the roundedrear portion of the said crowning band; and a bezel-ring secured to thesaid bezel-ring flange.

2. In an alarm clock, the combination with a case-body having a closedback made integral with it, of a concentrically arranged bell encirclingthe said back of the said case-body, a clock-movement located within ismoved from left to right, and therefore i the said case-body and securedto the said downward into its operative position as case-back near theedges thereof, posts mounted in the rear movement-plate of the clockmovement close to the center of the said plate and extending rearwardlythereform through the central portion of the caseback and through thebell which they support, and a brace or prop secured to the pro jectingrear ends of the said posts for assisting in supporting the clock in anupright position.

3. In an alarm clock, the combination with a one-piece sheet-metalcasebody having a crowning hollow circumferential band formed in itsperiphery and on the opposite 1 sides of its apex with two switch-knobslots, a concentric rearwardly projecting closed case-back smaller indiameter and shallower than the said band and a bezel-ring flangeextending forward from the forward edge of the said band and smaller indiameter than the same; of an alarm-movement located within the saidcase-body, two switchknobs respectively mounted in the said switch-knobslots and having circumferential sliding movement therein in thevertical plane of the said crowning band; and means for connecting thesaid switch-knobs with. parts of the alarm-movement.

4. In an alarm clock, the combination with a one-piece sheet-metalcase-body having a crowning hollow circumferential band formed in itsperiphery with a switch-knob slot of an alarm-movement located withinthe said casebody and provided with a 11ammer and a hammer-tail, astoplever mounted upon the said movement, and a switchknob mounted inthe said switch-knob slot for circumferential movement therein in theplane of the said band and coacting with the outer end of the saidstop-lever the inner end of which coacts with the said hammer-tail.

5. In an alarm clock, the combination with a one-piece sheet-metalcase-body having a crowning hollow circumferential band formed onopposite sides of its apex with peripheral switch-knob slots, of a ringhead applied to the apex of the said band between the inner ends of thesaid slots, an alarm-movement located within the said case-body andprovided with an intermittent-alarm lever and a stop-lever, andswitch-knobs respectively mounted in the said switch-knob slots forcircumferential sliding movement therein in the plane of the clock andprovided at their inner ends with stems respectively coacting with theouter ends of the said intermittent-alarm lever and stop-lever.

6. In an alarm clock, the combination with a one-piece sheet-metalcase-body having a crowning circumferential band formed in its peripheryand on the opposite sides of its apex with two switch-knob slots, of aring-head applied to the apex of the said band between the inner ends ofthe said slots, a clock-movement located within the said casebody andprovided with an alarm mechanism including an alarm-cam, an alarm-camspring, an alarm-hammer, an alarm-hammer tail and an intermittent alarmcam; a stop-lever pivotally mounted upon the said clock-movement inposition to have its lower end co-act with the said hammer tail, anintermittent alarm-lever also mounted upon the said clock movement andco-acting with the said intermittent alarm-cam, and two switch-knobsrespectively mounted in the said switch-knob slots and havingcircumferential sliding movement therein in the vertical plane of thesaid crowning band and respectively co-acting with the outer ends of thesaid stop-lever and intermittent alarm lever, the said hammer tailco-acting both with the alarm-cam spring and with the stop-lever.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribmg witnesses.

PAUL LU X.

Witnesses C. I. Games, J. R. PUTNAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, .D. C.

